The New York Yankees missed out on signing their top free agent pitching target when Yoshinobu Yamamoto spurned the Bombers to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Yamamoto became the second high-profile Japanese star to choose Los Angeles over the Bronx, joining Shohei Ohtani in the City of Angels. With multiple players expected to be posted from the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB) in the next few seasons, perceptions of New York and Los Angeles in Japan could play a major role in the budding rivalry between the Yankees and Dodgers.
The Yankees also face questions about how they will build out the rest of their rotation to ensure they can compete deep into the playoffs. With that said, let's take a look at what Yamamoto’s signing means for the Yankees.
Is Los Angeles the premier destination for Japanese free agents?
One major concern the Yankees must have after failing to sign Ohtani or Yamamoto is their status as a free agent destination for stars coming out of Japan. There are two notable players projected to be posted from NPB within the next three years: Pitcher Roki Sasaki and slugger Munetaka Murakami.
Sasaki arguably has better stuff than Yamamoto or even Ohtani, with a fastball that can reach upwards of 102 mph with consistency, as well as wipeout offspeed pitches. Murakami is a left-handed slugger who set the single season homerun record in NPB with 56. He also showed off his power against international competition in the WBC.
Sasaki would fit perfectly into the Yankees' rotation, sliding in as the number two behind Gerrit Cole, and preparing to take over the ace role as Cole ages and slows down. Murakami could be a slugger in New York who could take advantage of the short porch in right field at Yankee stadium.
Is a super team led by Japanese stars forming in Los Angeles?
The Dodgers are well on their way to uniting the stars of Samurai Japan in Los Angeles to build a super team led by Japanese players.
The presence of Ohtani and Yamamoto is likely to entice future star players being posted from the NPB to sign with the Dodgers and join their countrymen, including the aforementioned Sasaki and Murakami.
The Dodgers are the likely favorites to come out of the National League, and their rotation will be one that no offense will want to face.
The Dodgers will essentially be getting three new pitchers this year, as Walker Buehler will be returning from injury in addition to the signings of Ohtani and Yamamoto. These three players all have the ability to shut down an opposing offense for nine innings. This gives the Dodgers an immense advantage in any playoff series and will be difficult to contend with.
The Yankees need to bolster their rotation
In trading for Juan Soto, the Yankees gave up at least one core member of their starting rotation, two players who could contribute spot starts in the big leagues and their best pitching prospect.
This left their rotation awfully thin. Injuries and inconsistency from Nestor Cortés Jr. and Carlos Rodon do not inspire confidence. The Yankees may have the best pitcher in all of baseball in Gerrit Cole, but one ace alone is not enough.
Cole is an elite weapon for any team, but the Yankees need additional players around him. Yamamoto was supposed to be the number two guy in the Bronx, and missing out on signing him puts the Yankees’ rotation in a perilous situation.
The Dodgers may have been Yamamoto’s childhood favorite team
Since Yamamoto signed with Los Angeles, rumors have begun circulating that the Dodgers were his favorite team growing up. This could be a good or bad thing for the Yankees. It is understandable that he would want to play for his childhood favorite team, and other players from Japan may have grown up liking different teams.
The bad news is that given the proximity of Los Angeles to Japan and the time zones making West Coast games accessible to Japanese fans, the Dodgers may be the favorite team for a lot of Japanese stars.
The question is whether this includes Sasaki and Murakami, the next two players that the Yankees should be looking to sign out of Japan.
The Yankees need pitchers who can pitch under the bright lights
It takes a special type of pitcher to be able to perform in New York City. The Yankees have high expectations of their players, and those who don’t perform will hear it from both the fans and the New York media. Sonny Gray is a perfect example of this. He was electrifying before joining New York, he joined the Yankees and struggled immensely and then bounced back and regained his elite form after leaving the Bronx.
Yamamoto said all the right things and appeared to be somebody who relished the spotlight and wanted the biggest stage possible. The Yankees need guys who can handle pressure and perform in the biggest moments. When looking for pitchers to add, the Yankees must take into consideration their ability to handle the Bronx.
The Yankees must vet these players to ensure that they are investing in guys who will rise to the moment rather than shrinking away from it. You have to have thick skin to play in New York, and a mistake in evaluating a player could burden the team with hundreds of millions of dollars in sunk costs.
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